Pianist’s ‘Soul Quest’ leads to River Raisin Jazz Festival

Keiko Matsui spotted a painting, “Black Lion,” in a Georgia restaurant during an Eastern European tour. She was captivated by the majestic animal’s strength and mystified by the haunting melancholy in his eyes.

“This painting was made by Niko Pirosmani, who is a very popular Georgian painter. And when I met this painting, I fell in love,” the pianist recalled. “At the same time, I heard about a very sad love story of this painter, and I felt his loneliness, passion and romanticism. Those things inspired me to make this song.”

Keiko Matsui photo from Career Artist Management

With sparkling, soaring key work, Matsui restores the big cat’s roar.

“Black Lion” was the first single from the songwriter’s 2013 disc, “Soul Quest.”

“When I compose, I don’t think anything. I just sit in front of the piano waiting to hear something from above,” Matsui said during a call from Tokyo. “And sometimes nature, like the moon, ocean or scenery from my trip, inspires me.”

Hearing from fans about life struggles also motivates the artist.

“Everybody has hard times sometimes,” she said. “I notice that my music is very connected and deeply touching to individuals’ lives, so I really feel honored and I feel this is my mission to dedicate my melodies.”

Matsui sat down on the piano bench for lessons at age 5 in her native Japan. Growing up, she tuned in everything.

“I was listening to many different genres, sometimes movie soundtracks, sometimes Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Bob James and Sting,” she said. “And very naturally I started writing my own music. So that’s why my compositions have many different elements — sometimes classical, sometimes rock, sometimes jazz.”

She released her U.S. debut, “A Drop of Water,” in 1987. With 2001’s “Deep Blue,” Matsui became the first Japanese artist to top the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart.

Matsui will play the River Raisin Jazz Festival at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 9 at St. Mary’s Park in Monroe. Saxophonist and flutist Jackiem Joyner will join her at the free event.

“In this era, you can download music or you can have a CD and everything technically. But at the concert, facing each other and sharing this same space and air is the most important thing,” the composer said. “For me, music is like a prayer, and every time I really feel fortunate to have this magical time with the audience.”

Maumee Indoor Theatre to show documentary film that offers insight on the Federal Reserve

Fixed atop every piece of United States paper currency are the words: “Federal Reserve Note.” What is the Federal Reserve? To say that it is part of the federal government is correct. To say that it is a private corporation is also correct. In fact, to say that the Federal Reserve is a reclusive organization born of a secret meeting of government officials, financiers and a handful of the country’s leading businessmen on a private island off the coast of Georgia in 1913 is, once again, correct.

In ‘Money for Nothing,’ Jim Bruce seeks to educate viewers about the Federal Reserve’s history and impact. photo courtesy Liberty Films

As a quasi-governmental agency, a term political scientists use for an organization that holds governmental powers and responsibilities but has private sector control over its activities, the Federal Reserve (or “Fed”) is undoubtedly one of the least understood yet most influential entities in modern American government. In the documentary, “Money for Nothing: Inside the Federal Reserve,” director Jim Bruce seeks to educate viewers on what the Fed is, how it was formed, what it has done historically and where, in Bruce’s view, it continues to make mistakes.

The film, which has been playing in select theaters across the nation since September, was released in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s 100-year anniversary Dec. 26.

Bruce has worked in the motion picture industry for 15 years and has worked as an editor on such films as “X-Men: The Last Stand,” 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk” and “Pitch Black,” as well as two documentaries, “The King of Kong” and “Dambe: The Mali Project.” “Money for Nothing” marks Bruce’s debut in the director’s chair.

Making sense of finance

Bruce was first introduced to investing during the tech stock boom of the 1990s, and like many investors of the period he entered the market just a little too late.

“I started investing in 1999, not realizing there was a bubble,” said Bruce. “The tech bubble really opened my eyes. Fortunately, I was able to come out a little bit ahead, and going into the 2000s I became very interested in making sense of finance. I noticed several of the economists I was reading at the time kept talking about a coming housing bubble.”

Concerned about what loomed on the economic horizon, Bruce started a newsletter in 2006 for his friends and family urging them to financially prepare themselves for a pending financial crisis.

He encouraged them to become “value investors” by moving their money into safer stocks, and cautioned against owning multiple homes. Bruce shored up his investments throughout 2007 and 2008, managing to turn a small profit that he used to finance part of “Money for Nothing.”

“The Fed started the first Quantitative Easing in 2007 to deal with the housing bubble, and to me it felt like, ‘Here we go again repeating the same policies we used in the 2000s to get us past the stock bubble,’” said Bruce. Quantitative easing is a type of monetary policy undertaken by a central bank that puts more money into circulation in an effort to stimulate lending and spending in an economy. In the United States, the Fed has undertaken three rounds of quantitative easing (QE1, QE2, and QE3) since 2007.

“I don’t think the Fed has been held accountable for its role in creating the housing bubble. I wanted to tell that story. ‘Money for Nothing’ is about the Fed not learning from its mistakes in propping up financial markets.”

Before filming could begin, Bruce founded Liberty Street Films and began raising money through donations and a Kickstarter campaign.

“A lot of people have strong opinions about the Fed. A fair amount of people in finance, many of whom by the nature of their work benefit from Fed policies, know where this course of action leads. The most common thing I’ve heard is that this story needed to be told.”

Free screening

Treece Investment Advisory Corp. purchased screening rights so that the area could have a free local showing at the Maumee Indoor Theatre.

“We read about the film in a newsletter and saw it wasn’t showing anywhere in the region,” said money manager Ben Treece. “There has obviously been a lot of interest in monetary policy, markets and government influence since the recession. What we like about this film is it’s educational. This topic is often immediately political — either ‘End the Fed’ or following the Fed totally. This film looks at what they’ve done right, where they’ve gone wrong, and what economists across the spectrum have to say.”

The focus of “Money for Nothing” is the Federal Reserve’s actions during the past few years, though the film does briefly explore the central bank’s creation. Founded from the bolstered political will to create a strong central bank following the Panic of 1907, the Federal Reserve was terribly ill-prepared for the severity of the Great Depression.

“[Federal Reserve Chairman] Ben Bernake has said the Fed learned from the Great Depression when it raised interest rates and failed to supply money to banks, all to disastrous effect, but has it learned lessons from the recent past?” Bruce asked.

According to Bruce, the infamous atmosphere of big risk that existed among bankers during the 2000s was the direct result of deregulation and a low interest rate monetary policy created under former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s tenure.

“Money for Nothing,” which is narrated by actor Liev Schreiber, takes a “critical yet educational” view of the Federal Reserve’s recent policies. “The Fed is not evil and trying to destroy the banking system, nor do its policies solely benefit the wealthy. That’s a misunderstanding,” Bruce said. “I think the Fed is made up of well-intentioned people, but they haven’t learned from the past.” Several of the sources interviewed in the film are current or former Federal Reserve officials including former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and current Vice Chair Janet Yellen.

Shooting a documentary is difficult as it is much harder to attract an audience for a film about a central bank than it is to get people to line up to see the latest superhero movie. The secretive history of the Federal Reserve, with its lack of primary footage, only compounded the problem. But with widespread public interest in its topic and a compelling cast of characters, “Money for Nothing” has been well received in movie theaters and college campuses since its release.

“There’s Alan Greenspan, this vocal free-market libertarian who is continually manipulating markets; he’s a fascinating study in contradiction. Then, there’s Ben Bernake, this kind of larger than life character who takes the helm of Titanic right as it’s hitting the iceberg,” said Bruce. “I think the Fed is a fun topic and it’s being received by new thinkers. To shift the conversation, we need to reach a new generation who looks at things differently.”

Bruce’s goal for “Money for Nothing” is to bring average people into the Fed’s history, show them how it works and what role it plays in the everyday lives of the American people.

“I think people need to be more educated about the Fed because the Fed should be held more accountable and the American people deserve better policies,” he said.

Terms like monetary policy and quantitative easing can be intimidating for those without much of an economics background, but Bruce said he hopes that “Money for Nothing” will demystify what has been a confusing black box in American finance. “Recently, economics has become all mathematics, formulas and theories, but in reality it’s a social science. You don’t need complex economic training to have an opinion on this issue.”

“Money for Nothing” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Maumee Indoor Theatre, 601 Conant St. The screening is free but tickets are required. For more information, visit www.moneyfornothingthemovie.org.

Marco’s continues to grow after 35 years in pizza business

Marco’s Pizza is celebrating 35 years in business by being recognized as the fastest growing pizza chain in the U.S., based on the number of stores opened since 2007.

“We’ve established ourselves as a leading franchise in the pizza business. It has resulted in exponential growth for our brand,” said Jack Butorac, CEO of Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Franchising LLC has experienced a 37 percent increase in revenue growth in 2012 and is on track to have 104 new locations for 2013. With more than 1,500 new franchisees signed, the Toledo-based pizza chain expects to double its size and quadruple its store count in the next five to seven years.

Dan O’Malley, vice president of tactical planning at Marco’s

Marco’s has 420 stores in 32 states, the Bahamas and Panama, and expects to top 500 stores by the end of 2014 by opening two to three stores per week. Marco’s Pizza recently ranked 11th in the “2012 Pizza Industry Top 100 Movers and Shakers” as compiled by PizzaMarketPlace.com.

Founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco, the company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to become nationally and internationally known. Giammarco still owns and operates the Marco’s stores in the Toledo area while serving as a mentor to the current management team led by Butorac, who bought the franchise in 2004.

Marco’s credits its fresh dough made daily in every store, fresh cheese that is never frozen and a secret pizza sauce recipe created by its Italian founder for its continued growth. Strong leadership and innovative marketing and operational strategies have driven the pizza franchise’s success in the marketplace, Butorac said.

The challenge of Marco’s growth is maintaining the consistency of its products, so customers get the same pizza in Atlanta or elsewhere that they would in Toledo, according to Dan O’Malley, vice president of tactical planning at Marco’s.

O’Malley said he always wanted to own his own business. After graduating from Bowling Green State University in 1994, he went to work for a Marco’s franchise owner in Sandusky.

O’Malley grew up in the Marco’s pizza business; he worked in almost every position, including delivery driver, pizza maker, dishwasher, oven cleaner and janitor, before moving into marketing and management.

“I wanted to learn the business so I worked every position with the intent to open my own store, which I did in Mentor-on-the-Lake outside Cleveland,” O’Malley said.

“I became interested in making more of a contribution so I started working for the corporate office as a franchise rep for the Cleveland area in late 2004. Since I knew Jack (Butorac) as a franchisee, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me,” he said.

As director of franchise operations since 2011, O’Malley has been responsible for providing direction to the franchises’ representatives and area representative coordinators so that Marco’s franchise owners are best positioned to succeed.

O’Malley still operates the franchise in Mentor-on-the-Lake where he lives with his family. He said because he works a lot in the field, he could live almost anywhere so he works out of his office at home or at Marco’s headquarters in Toledo when he’s not traveling.

“The key is having the right people to operate the stores since Marco’s has the best product and franchise system. We look for people who can use those tools. Franchisees appreciate that I’m also a franchise owner and am protecting their interests,” O’Malley said.

He said the company sees substantial growth in the southeastern and central regions of the country for expansion in the next few years, including Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. Marco’s has 25 stores in the Atlanta area, and has opened stores in Colorado, Minnesota, South Dakota and New Jersey.

The chain recently opened stores in the San Francisco area and is looking to develop the Los Angeles area and other locations in California. O’Malley said some international interests have approached them about opening Marco’s franchises outside the U.S.

“We always want to talk to interested parties, whether they want to open one store or 100 stores,” he said.

For more information about franchise opportunities with Marco’s, visit www.marcos.com.

The company has expanded its menu for catering, which is “an emerging opportunity for us,” O’Malley said. “We’ve introduced Marco’s to a lot of new customers through the catering business.”

Another new development for Marco’s is opening stores with seating for eating on-site, especially in the South where there is more of a demand for it, O’Malley said.

“We get more positive feedback from customers than negative, mostly about the taste of the product,” he said.

O’Malley said that he’s always amazed at how many people originally from Toledo and Ohio recognize and welcome the Marco’s brand when new stores open in cities far from here.

Two Buck Yuks: A matter of degrees

When you go to a traditional comedy show, there’s a format to the proceedings. You’ll see a host, or emcee, who starts the night off, makes some announcements and does a little material, usually while the crowd is settling in and placing food and drink orders. It’s the low rung on the club-gig ladder and it can be a thankless job. Then the middle act, or “feature,” gets 20-35 minutes to get everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. The headliner comes up and, on a good night, takes the warmed-up crowd and knocks the show out of the park. Open mic night is another beast entirely. You may have a host who brings up each comic — or each person may just introduce the next one on the list. And it can be chaos. In bigger cities it’s not uncommon to see more than 30 people on the sign-up sheet, with various audience members coming, going, talking through the show and getting drunk. If the show is not exclusive to comedy, you may see someone working out their new R-rated material between a folk singer and a slam poet, often to everyone’s dismay.

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One common newbie mistake is to think you’re ready to make a move when you’re not. In Georgia I talked to an open-mic regular, 10 months into doing it, who confidently boasted of his 90 minutes of material. I have no doubt that this guy could stand in one place and speak words into a microphone for an hour and a half. But based on the 10 minutes I saw that night, I wasn’t eager to hear the other 80.

Most comedy fans have witnessed someone out of their depth at a show. It can be a hapless emcee bombing right out of the gate, or an unknown comedian headlining before they’ve developed enough material or the skill to hold a room’s attention. It can be career suicide — impressions are hard to shake, once formed. I know people who haven’t seen me perform since my first year, and the jokes of mine that they still associate with my act embarrass me now.

It’s the great life conundrum, comedy-style: You’re not as far along as you probably think you are, but you’ll never know you if can take that next step unless you walk off the cliff and see if you’ve figured out how to fly.

Two things I try to keep in mind — the world will generally let you know where you are in the pecking order and no matter where that is, even taking your first steps into the open mic spotlight, others are standing in the wings wishing they had the cojones to make that leap. I’d rather be the doofus on stage going down in flames than the guy in the back wondering what it’d feel like to try.

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